The present invention relates generally to a face mask providing a covering for the nose and mouth of a wearer, and more particularly to a face mask with a fan attachment for drawing air through the filter body of the mask.
Disposable face masks and respirators are well known in the art. In the medical field, such masks are used in preventing contamination of a patient by the exhaled breath of healthcare personnel. In recent years, with increased concern for infection of healthcare personnel by airborne pathogens, such masks have become important in preventing infection of healthcare personnel as well.
Healthcare personnel now increasingly show a preference for wearing face masks which form a barrier or seal between the periphery of the mask and the face of the wearer. As a result of this sealing engagement between the mask and wearer's skin, substantially all air inhaled or exhaled by the wearer is forced to flow through the filter media of the face mask. As a result, these better-fitting filter masks can become hot and uncomfortable to the wearer during periods of long-term wear. Breathability can also be a problem.
In certain healthcare environments, there is a preference towards including transparent panels in face masks through which the wearer's face can be seen. These panels allow improved communication between healthcare personnel and patients by allowing the patient to see the mouth of the healthcare worker, and are particularly beneficial for serving hearing impaired patients. Such masks with transparent panels often have a problem with condensation because the warm, moist air exhaled by the wearer causes the panel to fog with moisture vapor. A similar condensation problem can occur when the face mask wearer must also wear eyeglasses or goggles.
The use of face masks with the noted associated problems is not restricted to the healthcare environment. Many industrial applications, such as handling hazardous materials or working in a clean room environment, also require the use of face masks and respirators that form a substantially tight seal between the face of the wearer and the periphery of the mask.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a face mask design which provides increased air flow through the filter media of the mask by forcing exhaled air from the interior of the mask and delivering fresh air from the exterior of the mask.